I’m a big fan of Teach My products. They are a great way for kids to have fun learning different skills. They are also a simple way for parents to play with kids and help them understand different subjects. I love that Teach My makes learning fun and easy for all of us.

It’s All About The Money

This sections really fun as it includes a chart for using coins to count to 100, paper coins, paper dollars, a play wallet and flash cards in which you can write prices and play “store.” What a fun way to help kids learn the value of each coin and to learn how to purchase things, including make change, which can be tricky.

I feel this skill is definitely above the Kindergarten level and so I think this works for children in older grades.

What Day is it?

All of these fun learning tools in the Calendar section are great. With these tools you can help your children learn the days of the week, months of the year, limited weather conditions and seasons. The wheels with all the info are really fun to play with and sorting through the cards to make the correct date and season has been a blast.

What time is it?

Time is another skill that, in my experience, is above a Kindergarten level so this is also great for older kids. Please with the hands on the clock as well as the flash cards to match times is a really fun game.

I can spell that

The spelling section is my favorite section as a Mother. I love that it provides learning for many different styles of learners. You can see the words, use the erasable crayon to write the words, and manipulate the letter magnets to spell it out that way. I love that it provide three ways to really learn how these easy beginning words are built.

I LOVE the Teach My Kindergartener kit. I highly recommend it to families with young kids not in school and even children in their first couple of years of school. The kit teaches so many skills across a lot of different levels that it is a perfect introduction or supplement depending on your child’s skill level.

Giveaway

Teach My is giving one lucky reader the chance to win a Learning Kit of your choice. Teach My has learning kits for Baby, Toddler, Preschooler and Kindergartener. Each kit retails for $29.99.

Enter August 10 – 17, US and Canada residents ages 18+. Winner will be verified, emailed and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. Good luck!

Nini’s Best Chicken Salad Recipe EVER!!!

Whenever we have a finger food event and sometimes just to have on hand at home, my chicken salad recipe is ALWAYS a huge request! Now I’m gonna share it with you….but only this once 😉 so pay attention!! 🙂

Shopping list:

1.5-2 lb Chicken Breast

Chicken Bullion Cubes

Onion

Celery

Seedless Red Grapes

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Salt

Pepper

Miracle Whip

Mayo

Now let’s whip up some chicken salad!

First boil the chicken breast in water with 3 bullion cubes for about 15 minutes. I cut the breasts in half or thirds and stab little holes in them so they cook faster and absorb the flavor and moisture while they cook!

While that’s cooking chop about 1/2-3/4 of the onion (depending on how much your bunch likes onion!) and 1-2 celery stalks. I chop mine very small because mine like the flavor of them but they aren’t much on the texture! You can sit this aside or put it in the bottom of your big mixing bowl…just be sure if you do you mix good from the bottom once its all together!

While you’r waiting you can also 4th or 6th your grapes….I don’t chop them because they get a little too mushy and they do better crisp in the salad.

Once your chicken is finished drain and shred the chicken (these small pieces make this much easier than if you had left them in huge pieces, you’re welcome) I just use 2 forks and shred away. Add them to the big mixing bowl and before you put anything else in mix the onions, celery and grapes with the shredded chicken.

Next add garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste. I use 1+ tsp of these. Maybe I use a little more, but we LOVE some garlic and onion powder around here 😉 Now mix all this good again!

Last but not least add the miracle whip and mayo. I use about 2 Tbsp of Miracle Whip and 3 Tbsp of Mayo mixed in and then just add by the spoonful until I feel like its enough. Mix very well.

Now I like to pack mine in an airtight container and let it all mesh together a few hours or overnight before serving.

I serve on croissants but its great on regular bread or rolls as well!!!

PETE’S DRAGON flies into theaters everywhere on August 12th! I’ll see ya there!!

Summer is all about good food….

Cool side dishes to go with whatever you are grillin are a must!!! As the garden starts producing cucumbers start coming in by the bucket fulls!!! This summer salad is a delicious dish for any meat or even to sit around and snack on!

Wanna try something new for breakfast?

I gotcha covered! All breakfast is good…fabulous even…but now and then its fun to try a new recipe. This quickly became a request for birthday mornings and special occasions. And sometimes just because. Long weekends are especially popular for this!

First lets shop: (most of this you’ll already have!)

Now this recipe is per 9 inch pie plate…and depending on your crowd you’ll need a few

Sticks of butter

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

Powdered sugar

Lemon juice (fresh lemons or bottled, your choice)

Now lets make em:

Preheat oven to 400

While its preheating put 2 TBSP butter in each dish then place in oven to melt while its preheating

Next, in your mixing bowl, slightly beat your 2 eggs. Add flour, salt, and milk. Mix just until combined, your batter will be lumpy…if you mix to much they will not puff! And pour over the sizzling hot butter in your pie plates!

Bake for 25-30 minutes

While its baking you’ll wanna get your table set with powdered sugar, lemon juice, and plates!

Cut into slices and top with lemon juice then the powdered sugar! If you like you can use fruit and I have a kid who still uses syrup. Really there’s no wrong way to dress it!

MOUTH WATERING….better than that favorite restaurant!

My grandmother always made the BEST Nanner Puddin and I would stand and watch and help her stir and layer and whip and bake! And for the very first time…I’m going to share the recipe with you!

First lets shop:

6-7 Ripe Bananas

1 Box Nilla Wafers (don’t skimp on the cheap brand for this part)

1 1/2 cups sugar, then 6 Tbsp sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups milk (whole milk is best but 2% does ok too)

4 eggs, separated, you’ll need the yolks first then set the whites in the fridge till the end

1 tsp vanilla

Now let’s get this started…can you almost taste it?!?!

Preheat your oven to 425*

In the top of a double boiler start with the 1 1/2 cups sugar, flour and salt and whisk together then add the milk and mix up good. Separate your eggs and slightly beat the yolks and stir in. Put the egg whites in the fridge while we do the rest. Now you will stir this until it is custard like. This WILL TAKE A FEW! Don’t get discouraged it will thicken. This kind of yummy love takes a little time!

While this thickens, line your dish with a single layer of the Nilla wafers…now…I break up a few to fill in the cracks between the round cookies 🙂 Then slice up 3-4 of the ripened bananas atop these.

Once the pudding thickens, remove from heat and add your vanilla extract and stir in about a minute. Pour HALF the mixture into your dish over the banana and cookies you’ve layered.

Now another layer of cookies and bananas then the other half of the pudding…

Now remember we preheated the oven….hopefully its beeped and up to temp because we are almost there….but first…

Get those egg whites out o the fridge and get your mixer ready because its MERINGUE TIME!

Beat the eggs on HIGH and add 6TBSP, 1 TBSP at a time and beat until stiff peaks form. (God bless my grandmother and those who made meringue before we had electric mixers! SHEESH!)

Now spoon this over the top sealing in the pudding, it should look like this (OMG we are alost done…I smell it…I do!)

Bake at 425 about 5-6 minutes until the top gets golden brown. CHECK ON IT OFTEN because ovens vary…but with meringue it REALLY varies. Once its done, take out and let it sit to room temperature before you put it in the fridge. Chill for 2 hours before serving for best results.